Tuesday, January 15, 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – At the plea hearing before the Preliminary Hearing Judge of the Section I for War Crimes of theBosnian State Court,Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic pleaded not guilty. Serbian war criminal is charged with war crimes against Bosnian civilians committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Djukic, a former member of the genocidal paramilitary forces of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), has pleaded not guilty to all counts in the indictment charging him with the shelling of the Bosnian city of Tuzla in 1995, when the city was in the United Nations' protected zone.

"Honourable court, I plead not guilty," Serbian war criminal Djukic told the Bosnian State Court, adding that he had received and understood the Bosnian State Prosecutor's indictment against him.

The Indictment alleges that on 25 May 1995 Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic ordered his units, located in the Panjik village at the mountain of Ozren, to fire a missile at a location in the centre of the eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla known as „Kapija.“

As a result of this attack, 71 Bosnian civilians were killed while approximately 240 sustained injuries.

The second count in the indictment charges Serbian war criminal novak Djukic with having ordered the "firing of nine artillery projectiles" at Tuzla, which hit the bus station killing one person, and caused great material damage to the iron foundry and a few other buildings.

The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested Serbian war criminal in Bosnia on November 7 last year. He has been held in custody since then.

Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic's trial is due to commence before the Bosnian State Court within the next 90 days.